This invention relates to textile materials, and more particularly, to a process for coloring textile materials to produce random dyed effects.
Our commonly-assigned patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 584,389, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,526, describes compositions and processes for treating textile fabric materials with finishing agents such as coloring materials (e.g., dyes, pigments), durable press agents, and the like. In accordance with that invention, such fabric finishing agents are applied in the form of a foamed composition prepared by foaming a mixture of liquid, finishing agent and foaming agent to a blow ratio of about 2:1 to about 20:1. The resultant foamed composition has a density in the range of from about 0.05 gm/cc to about 0.5 gm/cc. The foamed composition is then coated onto a textile, and the foam collapsed, e.g., by padding, compression or application of vacuum or any combination thereof, to penetrate the finishing agent into the textile. The so-treated textile is then dried and cured or fixed in a conventional manner.
The invention of our application Ser. No. 584,389 advantageously decreases the amount of liquid, e.g., water or organic liquid, which is conventionally utilized in the application of finishing agents to textile fabrics. This results in significantly reducing costly liquid removal operations and greatly facilitates the handling and processing of textile fabrics so treated.
The coloring of textiles in accordance with our above-identified application involves the formation of a foam from a composition comprised of coloring material, e.g., dye, pigments, precursors thereof, etc., liquid and a foaming agent, and the application of the foam to a textile to achieve uniform coloration. It is further desirable, however, to produce random dyed effects in textiles, for example, to produce textiles with a faded, tie-dyed, striped or speckled effect.